At the core of good waste management are three principles, also known as ‘The three R’s’. These are to Reduce, Re-use and Recycle. Below you can download factsheets with some useful tips on each of these waste management techniques.

Waste Reduction is the first and most important principle in the waste hierarchy; if we reduce the amount of material we discard then we can reduce the amount of waste which must be sent to landfill or incinerated or treated for recycling. Waste reduction could be as simple as choosing items with less packaging when shopping or making sure you cook only the quantities required when preparing a meal. For a factsheet with many more useful tips, please click on the link below.Waste Reduction Tips.pdf

Re-use is the next step in the waste hierarchy; by re-using products rather than replacing them fewer items will enter the chain of waste and further reduce the quantities of waste which is incinerated, recycled or sent to landfill. This might mean investing in higher quality appliances which are more durable or donating your second-hand goods through sites such as www.reuse.com.mt. For a full factsheet with ideas about re-using your waste, please click on the link below.

Recycling is the final stage of the process and should be used only when reduction or re-use are no longer an option. Many materials can now be recycled; be it paper, cardboard, metal, plastic or glass. Even organic waste can be recycled in order to produce compost. For more information on what can and can’t be recycled please visit our Recyclable Waste page. Recycling is made even easier in Malta nowadays, with recyclable materials being collected via a home collection scheme.

Food Waste

So exactly what is food waste? Food waste is defined by the European Commission (EC, 2010) as: “raw or cooked food materials and includes food loss before, during or after meal preparation in the household, as well as food discarded in the process of manufacturing, distribution, retail and food service activities.”

The National Statistics Office (2013) stated that in Malta an average of 22% of the amount of purchased food ends up being wasted and discarded through the waste stream, untouched. There are ways one can reduce food waste and save money! TIPS on reducing Food Waste.